Dovetail construction for vehicle doors



J. LEDWINKA DOVETIL CONSTRUCTION` FOR VEHICLE DOORS rgb. 12, 1929.

Filed oct. 2, 192.4

IVENTOR. JOSEPH LEDWNKA BY l l ATTORNEY.

Paten-ted Feb; 12, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENL OFFICE..

BUDD MANUFACTURING co., or PHIL TION.- oF PENNSYLVANIA.

l DOVETAIL CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLE DOORS.

Application inea october 2, 1924. serial No. 741,259. i.

lefficacious and yet most simple way.

Briefly stated, I constitute the dovetail sockets in which the dovetailing heads are to be" seated bfra yielding structure,`em bodying a sound-deadening material so disposed that it not only deadens the sound but fat the same time renders the sockets, by

reason of its resiliency, self-adjusting as to -s'ize and to suilici'ent extent to accommodate the dovetailing heads in thickness adjustment after they have become considerably worn. These sockets I mount in place by the simplest sort of a screw clip.

In the accompanying'drawings I show that form of my invention now best known rto me. mobile body in which my invention is em# bodied. i

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the doors of that body and the associated door poston line 2-2,lmarking the point at .which the embodiment is made.

Fig. 3 is a of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section of.` the dovetail sockets on line 4.-4 Iof Fig. 3.

r1`he body shown in Fig. 1 is of the closed body type commonly called a sedan. It embodies two doors 10 and 11 which close toward eachother upon an intermediate body post commonly called a B land C post, and so designated here. The ost as shown in Fig. 2 is ofchan'nel shape cross-section comprising a bottom wall 12 and side walls 13 and 14v respectively. The side walls are offset intermediate their edges as at the 'points 15. Confined interiorly of the posts 12 in these offsets are the dovetail sockets designated generally 16, one set for each door. These sockets are engaged by the dovetailing heads 17 carried by t e doors 10 and 11. The doors comprise jamb rails 18 offset intermediate their edges correspondingly to the sidewalls 13 and 14 of the post.- rlhe dovetail heads are formed in pairs in the shape of a forging or casting and secured by Fig. 1 is aside elevation of an auto.

sectional elevation `on line 3"-3 ,i

bolting their bases 19 to the interior of the inner portion of the jamb rails 18 in a position to project their heads 'through apertures formed in the jamb rails beside and beyond the offset portions 18 of therails. 'They are thus in a position to engage the sockets when the dooi` is closed; as indicated in Fig.

JosEPH LEDWINHA, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssI'GNoH To EDWARD e. f ADELPHLA, PENNSYLVANIA, A coaPoHA- 1l and through this engagement, to align the door` horizontally for proper and most effcctive closure and the proper operation of its locks. l t y The dovetail sockets 16 comprise a pair of spaced U-shaped clips 20, arranged with the opencnds thereof facing toward tle l offsets 15 of the post walls. They present at openings 21 in these walls through which the heads 17 may enter the mouths of the sockets. These openings 21 are of greater height than thickness `of the heads 17, but the mouths of members 20 are of less width, whereby wheny the head engages within them the lips of the socket members 20 are elgaged by the faces of heads 17 and forced apart. Faces of heads 17 are tapered toward each other inwardly5fwher'eby an easy yentry and adual forcing apart of the lips 22 of mem ers 20 is attained. These lips them-l selves are turned laterally to form lateral lflanges 23. The bites of the U-shaped clips 20 are enlarved jointly to give a greater resiliency to bthe clip' itself, which is made lso of resilient material and to connethe'em.

gagement of dthe doyetails largely to the.

mouths of the clips. W l

Between the pairs of vclips and on the outsidefof each pair there are provided resilient and yielding rubber blocks 24, which function jointly to increase the pressure behind the walls of sockets'20 and which tend to cushion and render noiseless the engagement thereof by the faces of the heads 17. There' are three of these rubber blocks of substantial dimensions and contours conformingto the contours of the clips forming the sockets 20, one between' the clips and one at each end of the pair. The complete assemblage sus` is confined in place by socket retaining'clip 25 secured tothe sidewall of the post at i each endIand/at its middle, beingprovided with end and 'side tabs 26 and 27 respectively for that purpose. Moreover, the edges of this clip are respectively inturned at 28 and 29 to form coniining side walls for the clips 20 and blocks 24, lthe walls engaging the sides of the blocks, and the heads and lip iianges respectively of the clips 20. The exterior flange 28 extends almost to the side walls 13, 14 of the post channel, while the interior -anges 29 extend only to the inner edge of the apertures 21 through which the dovetail heads enter the sockets. The blocks 24 and the clips 20 are confined at their lower interior edges within the angle of the .offsets 15. i

So organized, the entire structure may be most readily attached and detached by removing the secured screws which are applied from the exterior of the door post. The metallic clips forming the sockets proper take the wear of engagement with the dovetail, the rubber blocks 24 supplement the resiliency of the clips, increase the firmness of the socket, improve its shock-absorbing qualities, and lastly, but of considerable importance, thoroughly damp out Iroise incident to'the engagement of metal upon metal which proves so highly objectionable in most typesof dovtails known to the art.

All modifications of my invention which do not depart from its generic spirit should fall within the purview of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A twin dove tail construction comprising a housing having twin apertures Aadapted to receive a pair of dove tails, U-

shaped resilient wearing clips flanking the 1 apertures and adapted to contact with,.the received dove tails, resilient means between the endmost of said clips and the ends o f the housing, and additional resilient means floating 'freely centrally of the housing between the spaced. clips.

3. An anti-rattling structure for doors and the like comprising a kdoor post having a j amb portion substantially of Z shaped cross section7 and a dove tail socket arranged in the inner angle of the Z and opening through the web thereof having a housing the main body of which is extended over and secured to the outer branch of the Z.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. i JOSEPH LEDWINKA. 

